Related News

Firing a fresh salvo at the Arvind Kejriwal-led group,Anna Hazare today said it had not responded to his questions on how to present a political alternative to the people in the fight against corruption and dubbed the path of politics as one “full of dirt”.

Advertising

The path of “politics is not sacred and it is full of dirt” but the route of agitation is “sacred”,Hazare,who arrived here this morning and met activists to chalk out the next course of action on an apolitical anti-corruption movement,told reporters.

Hazare’s remarks came two days after he wrote in a blog that the anti-corruption group split due to “politics” within and not because of any attempts by government.

He distanced himself from the group led by Kejriwal who announced that he will soon launch a political party.

Advertising

Kejriwal was not available for his response to Hazare’s remarks.

Contending that a big movement and not politics will give the country its future,Hazare said he had told the pro-party group that the route of politics was “not the right direction”.

“I did not give an alternative. When I was told that an alternative has to be given,I said it is a good idea but I asked them to answer my 5-6 questions (on how to provide an alternative). But I did not get those answers,” he said.

Hazare was referring to the questions he raised like how will members of a new party will be selected,where will the money come from and how will the candidates for elections be selected among others.

“If I had to enter elections I would have done it much earlier. I have not even fought Panchayat elections. When I talk about alternative,I am not talking about political alternative,” he said.

Asked if Kejriwal had fooled Team Anna with his political ambitions,Hazare said,”no,it is not a question of being cheated.”

“Politics is not the right direction. If politics would have given us a bright future,then why India once called a golden bird had to mortgage gold. This country will not get the right future from politics,” he said.

This is Hazare’s first visit to the capital after his differences with Kejriwal. Hazare will return to Ralegan Siddhi tomorrow.

More Explained

BJP’s Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a democratic set up,politics and political parties go together. “A few can be right and few wrong. So it is wrong to say that politics is full of dirt,” he said.

Rashid Alvi of Congress said,”we respect Hazare but we always said that people around him were doing politics. We have been proven right. We have nothing to do with what is going on within their team. We always respected Anna and we still do,” he said.